Gladiator Slot
I have seen excellent slots from BetSoft covering the cute and the crazy type themes – this one takes their characteristic 3D graphics and goes for the ‘tough’ feeling. Many slots have coveredancient Roman themes. None I know of have included so many different features or combined the game with amazing 3D graphics in the same way that this game does. There are on-reel features, and a break out bonus game which involves an epic fight between two Gladiators.
Most of the action is on the reels in this game, with very little in the way of a frame compared to many BetSoft titles. The graphics are amazing, detailed and beautifully shaded. These include a tiger, sword and shield, bag of gold and goblet, ball and chain and some very tough looking warriors, complete with helmets. When you get a win one of the symbols pops out from the reels (expands) and shows a short animation, for example the Gladiator picking up his ball and chain. Suitably dramatic music plays in the background - this changes often. One small gripe is that the win-line sounds sometimes get stuck on repeat between spins. Overall, the production is first-class, so don’t let this put you off.
There are 3 on-reel features - the wild Gladiator reel, the maiden who creates more wilds with petals and the doors used for a ‘click-me’ bonus.
Setup and Play for Gladiator
This game uses the standard 30 line setup which BetSoft seems to prefer. You can spin for 1c per line, and bet up to 5 coins per line – making your maximum spin $150. Auto-play lets you confirm all your settings and select the number of spins, which is handy for the lazy players among us. Auto-play does not stop after each bonus round on this slot.
The coliseum (scatter) symbol has the single biggest prize, with 750 for 5 on where on the reels and 300 for 4.The two Gladiators are the next biggest paying symbols; these are each worth 400 coins for 5 on a line, and 160 coins for 4. The weapons are next; these are worth 250 for 5 of a kind, and 100 for just 4. Next comes the tiger (150 for 5), horse (100) and the gold follows making up the smaller wins.
There are two special symbols. The Princess will only appear occasionally, when she appears on the top of any reel she drops some petals which make the symbols below her wild. These are 2x wilds, which double any winning combinations which they become a part of. The other special symbol is the doorway – which leads to the click-me bonus.
If you get a gladiator in the middle reel, an animated sequence begins. This reel turns to stone and then a gladiator appears and smashes this – revealing an entirely wild reel.
Gladiator Bonus Rounds
There are two distinct bonuses to tell you about. 3 door symbols on the reels start a quick and easy ‘click-me’ round. You choose which of the doors to click on and reveal a prize (in coins), you keep on picking these until one comes with the word ‘collect’ under the prize amount.
The ‘Prepare for Battle’ bonus is more interesting. This time you choose from 2 gladiators (hero and villain). You are then taken to an arena and watch the guys have an epic battle in front of a cheering crowd. I would not say this is up there with the very latest console games – much better than the original street fighter though! You are awarded credits after the fight depending on how your chosen Gladiator did. While you do not have to control the action in the fight (this is automatic), this is still an impressive bonus game in comparison to other slots.
Gladiator – Conclusion
This is a much different BetSoft title compared to most I have played, and it does a great job with the Gladiator theme. The 3D animations which are the hallmark of BetSoft games are put to good use, both on the reels and in the different bonus games. The doorway bonus is nothing too special (though the credits are always welcome) and the wild reel Gladiator bonus is impressive. I enjoyed the battle sequence, though you should keep in mind that your personal involvement in this ends after you have picked either the good or bad guy to fight on your behalf.
If you enjoy Roman themed slots, then this is certainly a must-play game – check it out for yourself soon.
